Time to fix racing

AN OPPORTUNITY to draw a line in the sand and repair the Queensland racing industry's deteriorating reputation will be missed unless antagonists quickly resolve long-standing issues, according to one of the State's most experienced racing pundits.

When approached yesterday by The Chronicle, former senior racing journalist, race club administrator and thoroughbred owner/breeder Allen Volz said grass roots industry members had cause to be frustrated by this week's damaging publicity which he said needed to be reined in urgently.

Claims of price rorting at Brisbane tracks; a Queensland Racing investigator linked to a West Australian racing scandal; the ongoing stand-off between Queensland Racing and the Queensland Turf Club (QTC) and Brisbane Turf Club (BTC) and stinging allegations in Parliament linking politicians and prominent racing participants to questionable practices has headlined a week of grim industry publicity.

Volz dismissed the price rorting furore, where bookmakers have been accused of inflating on-course prices to help manipulate offcourse wagering.

"The furore surrounding it is a non-event in my opinion," Volz declared.

"It's a common practice that's been going on since the year dot, and is part of the betting ring intrigue."

Volz questioned the QTC and BTC's commitment to the overall well-being of the industry following Premier Peter Beattie's announcement of the scrapping of the proposed Wacol Supertrack plans.

"There were a lot of worrying aspects involved in the pros and cons of a Supertrack," Volz said.

"But I welcome the fact the Premier has announced a decision and delivered an ultimatum to the Brisbane clubs who now have their destiny in their own hands.

"They have never had a happy association, and it only became worse with the inception of the Queensland Principal Club in the early 1990s.

"That set the climate for a real battlefield for opposing ideologies, big egos, personal hatreds, vendettas and squareups.

"Of course that's not only confined to Brisbane race clubs ? it goes further afield than that.

"The unfortunate part of the bad publicity circulating at the moment is it is generated by just a handful of players.

"The industry itself is united, with the vast majority out to seek the right outcomes.

"But while major clubs are at loggerheads, and other disruptive influences are holding racing back, it will undermine the industry's credibility and reputation.

"You can only take so much negative publicity before people eventually get fed up with you.

"Even if some of it involves making a mountain out of a molehill."

Volz also believes QR is the victim of some unwarranted criticisms.

"Along with everyone else I'm alarmed by the displacement of so many seemingly good Queensland Racing staff," he said.

"But I say that without knowing the full circumstances of their departure.

"At the same time though I think Bob Bentley, in some areas, has been unfairly hounded by certain sections of the media.

"Queensland Racing has had to make a lot of hard decisions which were necessary, and couldn't have been made by themselves."